Cynthia Moss, who runs the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, in Kenya, has been studying and protecting elephants since 1968. She says she’s “heard these same arguments forever…”

Moss sees firsthand the impact a death of an elephant has on the survivors, especially the death of a female. “The killing of a female is probably more devastating for other individual elephants because they live in tight knit families. In Amboseli, you’ll see a family of 20 individuals—grandmothers, mothers, nieces, cousins, sisters. They stay in the family their whole lives and are very bonded.”

When a female is killed, the repercussions can last a very long time, Moss says. If the mother of a three- or four-year-old calf is killed, the calf will die. The survival rate of elephants up to 20 years old is even compromised if their mother is hunted. And if a matriarch is shot, “it’s absolutely devastating. It will have ramifications for years.”

Moss says that over her decades of work she has never once been persuaded by any of the arguments in favor of sport hunting. “The loss of an elephant is a tragedy,” she says. “And killing an elephant or any other animal for fun is abhorrent.”

I’m also their first ever weeklong guest designer. I’m not sure how I pulled that off, but I’m thrilled nonetheless. I’ll be drawing a different illustration everyday this week using their dual brush pens. Below is the first illustration I completed for the blog. Go to the original posting to see the progress photos!

I drew moon jellyfish infused with dandelions and lime swallowtail moths. These are organisms many people perceive as pests, but they are still fascinating and beautiful in their own right.

I entered this illustration into the Tombow USA Dual Brush Challenge. If my illustration gets the most “likes,” I will win 50 poster prints of my work and a Tombow storage bag! I will give free posters to 10 random people who have liked my illustration on Tombow’s page. Please take a screenshot of your “like” and message me. Thank you. I would really appreciate your support. Thank you!

“The Golden Rule”

ARTIST: Norman RockwellCOUNTRY: United StatesYEAR: 1961

I love the unifying message behind this illustration. Rockwell was a huge advocate of civil rights. Did you know that the models in this piece included Rockwell’s friends, acquaintances and neighbors? Check out more of my favorite illustrators on Pinterest!